Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Rupert Brooke, one of the WWI poets wrote The Soldier in 1914, the next year he died on a hospital ship on its way to Gallippoli and was buried on Skyros one of the Greek islands. Thus, fulfilling the prophecy set forth in the poem.

If I should die, think only this of me:That there's some corner of a foreign fieldThat is for ever England.There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,A body of England's, breathing English air,Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.And think, this heart, all evil shed away,A pulse in the eternal mind, no lessGives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

This piece will be a new addition to The Pity of Warwhen it goes on exhibition at Linnaea's Cafe in San Luis Obispoduring the month of July.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Decoration Day received its name from the laying of flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers during the Civil War.

In 1868 General John A.Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" should be observed nationwide It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle.

The northern states quickly adopted the holiday; Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday in 1871 and by 1890 every northern state followed suit.

The earliest Confederate Memorial Day celebrations were simple, somber occasions for veterans and their families to honor the day and attend to local cemeteries. At its Decoration Day on April 25, 1866, Columbus, Mississippi commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

Following WWI, Decoration Day became Memorial Day and has been ever since a day to honour all those who have served in the military.

Friday, May 27, 2011

What a delightful combination - Maira Kalman and Lemony Snicket. The master of juvenile macabre and the world's most delightful illustrator. The 13 Words ends up making a story as non sequitur and charming as Kalman's drawings. Any new volume by either of these luminaries is a cause for celebration, but in partnership -let the party begin!

Monday, May 23, 2011

After several years of keeping my pens in drawers I decided to get them out in the open so I can not only see what I have, but - gasp! - maybe even remember to use them more!

So I grabbed a few containers and now my Sharpie Paint Pens are in a metal flower can, and my Faber Castil Pitt Artists Pens w/ brush tips in a white flower pot.

My sepia, black and sanguine (I love saying that word - it's fun!) FC Pitts are in a ceramic coffee mug - sans handle.And my Sakura Moonbeam Gels in this vintage pink lovely. If out of sight is out of mind - I now have no excuse not to be putting all of these to good and immediate use.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Poet's Corner in the south transept of Westminster Abbey. The resting place of writers, actors, poets, composers, dancers and several canons and deacons of the church. (And interestingly enough, also the grave of Thomas Parr who, it is said, died at the age of 152 in 1635 after having seen 10 sovereigns on the throne.

Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to be interred here in 1400, followed by Edmund Spenser in 1599.The memorial to 16 WWI poets was unveiled on Remembrance Day in 1985. It is a stone slab of slate with the names inscribed on it. Wilfred Owen's statement "My subject is War and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity" is engraved across the top of the stone.

A magnificent stained glass window was installed in 1994, when floor and wall space began to run out. The window has twenty diamond panes which are inscribed with names and dates. Ted Hughes was the latest to be honoured in this fashion earlier this year. Twelve spots remain.

Friday, May 20, 2011

I had forgotten about this lovely book, but then saw it in the museum store when we went to the Pulp Fashion exhibit last week. Full of beautiful paintings and sketches, Ms. deBorchgrave's spirit of colour and elan are evident on every page. Commissioned to replace the Fortuny fabric wall coverings in the Hotel Cipriani with painted facsimiles, she spent time in Venice during one winter and that's the basis for this charming volume.

Monday, May 16, 2011

These are shots that I took from the ferry across San Francisco Bay last week as we passed Alcatraz Island.I've never had any desire to take the tour and actually visit the island, I would imagine it would be awash in feelings of despair and hopelessness.

That said, I did capture these views of some of thedecaying buildings and rusty metal.

Even from across the water, there seemed an air ofold unhappiness and gloom.

Friday, May 13, 2011

It's Friday the 13th!! So I thought this would be an appropriate volume for today's post. I have long loved the "little big book" format and have quite a collection of them. I guess my fascination started back in the '50's when we had "big little books" - I amassed a collection of those too, back in the day. The above book is stuffed full of spooky stories, poems, legends and tales. You'll find out how to cast a spell, learn about superstitions (including Friday the 13th) and be able to master a few magic tricks by the time you've finished. As these chunky tomes always are, it is lavishly illustrated with vintage prints, etchings and paintings. A feast for the eye and a shiver for the spine!!

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About Me

We are all artists--so when creativity calls, be sure to answer!
Growing up in Azusa, California, my kindergarten teacher gave me an "unsatisfactory" in
Cut&Paste, and I believed her for 50 years. Now I am a mixed media artist and work in a library.